About 20 thousand Nepali security workers under the banner of the Maoist-affiliated Nepal Security Labor Association on 2 February protested in the streets of Kathmandu demanding for an end to the brokership in security employment. They chanted slogans against the extreme exploitation and injustices involved in security employment.
The protesters belonged to dozens of security companies, including the multinational Group 4 Securitas. One of the protesters said, "I work 12 hours daily in a foreign embassy. My security company takes Rs.9,000.00 from the employer but I get only Rs. 4000.00. I want an end to this bloody system."
"Long live Federal Republic of Nepal" "We warn you, exploiters and frauds!" "All security workers of Nepal, Unite!" These were some of the slogans chanted by them. One of the passers-by, Ram Narayan Maharjan said that he was impressed by the protest of the security workers. "Their voices need to be heard," he said.
Hundreds of women security guards were seen in the protest. Most of the protesters were in their own professional uniforms.
Among the women security guards, many were leapingly chanting the slogan ‘Down with the brokering system.’
Surprisingly, Nepal’s mainstream mass media did not at all make any news about such a big protest by security workers for the first time in Nepal. Many civil society members still observe that the mainstream Nepali mass media have to go through many hard exercises and serious habit formation before they can be ideologically inclusive and diverse.
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